Black Samurai (1977) Film Locations

If you enjoy funky, chopsockey kung-fu, secret agent, black exploitation movies with Voodoo rituals, jet packs, and an evil arch nemesis named the Warlock then this is your masterpiece.

Based on the novels by Marc Olden, Al Adamson, a king of exploitation movies, delivers us a film, that some have put on their worst movie list of all times. I beg to differ.

Richard Sand (Kelly), agent of D.R.A.G.O.N (Defense Reserve Agency Guardian of Nations), is contacted during an afternoon tennis match. The Warlock has kidnapped the ambassador’s daughter, who turns out to be Sand’s girlfriend. The ransom is for a new weapon: the freeze Bomb. Sand takes the mission and heads out to exotic locals (just establishing shots) while in fact driving around Palm Springs and Riverside. With pure coolness, Sand crashes a party thrown by the Warlock and all hell breaks loose. There is a prolonged party mingling scene that seems to go on way too long, but I’m not complaining. Eventually, Sand kung fu’s around the Mission Inn and saves the day because Jim Kelly kicks ass.

As a fan of the Mission Inn, I instantly recognized the location. If you have not been, use visiting this film location as a reason to get out there.

Jim Kelly passed away in 2013. He had been at WonderCon in Anaheim of that year signing autographs. I’m not an autograph person, but I wanted let him know he brought joy to my life through his movies. I lost my nerve and missed the chance.